I think this is a wonderful idea.
Clubs pay people to stand in line. Restaurants invite diners in to fill the tables. I teach authors to stage a book signing. The publicity from these events is the goal, not book sales directly.
What are you going to do to make your book stand out?
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Novelist Jennifer Belle decided to be proactively hands-on with the publicity for her latest release, The Seven Year Bitch, by hiring actresses to read from it in the subway and various NYC landmarks. Belle’s publicity strategy garnered the attention of The New York Times, The NY Post, Judith Regan‘s Sirius radio show, and several blogs.
Belle requested that respondents be ages 25-75 and possessed infectious laughs. More than 600 actresses applied for the job sending headshots, resumes, and cover letters with anecdotes about their "compelling laughs."
Some of those "laughs" were recorded and uploaded online with links provided for Belle’s viewing pleasure. A smart few professed a love for the author’s previous publications and were brought to the top of Belle’s list. The actresses were hired for an hourly salary of $8.
Brilliant! What a great way to promote offline and online, and be able to use the promotion in so many ways. Use still images of the models reading, videos/audios of the model laughing at a passage, blogging about seeing cute girl reading the book, etc. Without spending tons of money, lots of promo ideas can come from it. Love it.
You got it.
Every author I talk to says “people who have read my book tell me it's great”
But people don't BUY books that they have read.. they buy the PLATFORM of the author. By definition, nothing inside the book will sell it.
Once people start telling authors about the author, the book, the platform, other will buy the book
That's marvelous.
As long as they were wearing shirts or had a sign that they were paid spokespeople, I think that's fine. Otherwise, it is like paid product placement in movies and TV shows (or blog posts that are paid for by advertisers but not disclosed)-it should be disclosed.
Otherwise, it's a slippery slope. I like having some distinction between editorial content and advertising.
Integrity position has to be that you don't hide sponsorship, but separation of consent and ads is an old media illusion. Objective Journalism an oxymoron.
For the record. I only endorse what I like and recommend. I'm the sole arbitrator and NEVER would change my opinions for money. I proudly take payments from promoting good stuff as a mutually beneficial transaction for me, the advertisers AND especially the readers who follow my recommendations.
Integrity position has to be that you don't hide sponsorship, but separation of consent and ads is an old media illusion. Objective Journalism an oxymoron.
For the record. I only endorse what I like and recommend. I'm the sole arbitrator and NEVER would change my opinions for money. I proudly take payments from promoting good stuff as a mutually beneficial transaction for me, the advertisers AND especially the readers who follow my recommendations.